Floodplain Management

HF756 Subcommittee

Part of the recovery effort throughout the State of Iowa following the disasters of 2008 was flooplain managament and improvement of water quality in the state. Legislation was passed in 2008 to do just that, as a Water Resources Coordinating Council (WRCC). In fact, 2009 Iowa legislation, HF756, required the state’s Water Resources Coordinating Council (WRCC) to submit policy and funding recommendations that promote “a watershed management approach to reduce the adverse impact of future flooding on this state's residents, businesses, communities, and soil and water quality.”

Click here to view the original WRCC floodplain recommendations filed in November 2009.

Two bills passed in the 2010 legislative session address five of the recommendations.

University of Northern Iowa – Center for Energy and Environmental Education: Kamyar Enshayan

Homeland Security: Tom Oswald; alternate Steve Zimmerman

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Jerry Skalak

IDOT: Scott Marler; alternate Dave Claman

NRCS: Rich Sims; alternate Marty Adkins

IDNR: Bill Ehm; alternate Sharon Tahtinen

IDALS: Chuck Gipp

IDED: Jessica Montana

RIO: Ken Tow; alternate Susan Judkins

USGS: Rob Middlemis-Brown; alternate Kaylene Carney

Bill Ehm of the DNR and Chuck Gipp of IDALS were elected as co-chairs of the Floodplain Management Subcommittee. The RIO provided staff support, including posting meeting notices, preparing press releases, and hosting web site information about the work of the Subcommittee.

The goal of the work groups was to “consult with hydrological and land use experts, representatives of cities, counties, drainage and levee districts, agricultural interests, and soil and water conservation districts, and other urban and regional planning experts” in developing recommendations as required by HF756.

Recommendations were due Nov. 15, 2009. Public input was invited at subcommittee meetings, work group meetings, and at public meetings held in various regions of the state in late September and early October.

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